


8:06 (The Solar Cafe)

by Tigerheart13



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, russias really only mentioned in passing but im tagging him anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-09 05:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6891475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tigerheart13/pseuds/Tigerheart13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Natalya, huh?” Alfred winked and flashed her a flirty smile. “That’s a pretty name, you got a number to go with it?”</p>
<p>Natalya barely glanced up from her phone “No, I don't have a phone.”</p>
<p>Alfred blinked slowly, he looked completely dumbfounded as he glanced between her face and her phone. “I’m sorry?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	8:06 (The Solar Cafe)

Everyday Natalya would walk through the door of the little space themed coffee shop, Solar Cafe; it was approximately two and a half blocks from her apartment, and she'd arrive precisely at 8:06 every morning. The small bell above the door would ring and the enticing smell of coffee filled her lungs, the walls painted like galaxies with posters of famous astronauts and astrophysicists placed sporadically throughout the room. Natalya was always met with the same barista when she walked up to the counter. She was beginning to think he was the only one they could trick into taking the morning shift for when the shop opened.

“Good morning! What can I get for you?” The blond’s voice was always much too chipper for someone who started their shift when the doors opened at six. 

Natalya winced at his overly cheerful attitude. “A large black coffee and a raspberry scone.”

“Room for cream?”

Natalya shook her head, the barista, Alfred, if his name tag was to be trusted, gave her a blinding smile. “That’ll be five dollars and thirty cents! I’ll have it out for you in a moment!”

Natalya paid and went to sit in one of the tables based off planets with overstuffed armchairs near the window. She stared out of the clear glass into the already busy sidewalk, watching as people walked past. Natalya noticed a few people she saw take this route every morning. The harried looking business man, who always wore crisp suits but anxiously waved his hands about as he spoke on the phone, the short brunette woman who always seemed to drop _something_ without noticing (once Natalya saw the entire contents of her purse fall on the ground and walk ten feet before she noticed), and the cute lesbian couple who passed by hand-in-hand. 

Alfred appeared at her side a few minutes later, startling Natalya away from her people watching, her coffee and scone held in his hands. Natalya mumbled her thanks and Alfred gave her a bright grin before walking back behind the counter.  
…  
This pattern continued on for some time, wake up, shower, get dressed, leave her apartment at 7:58, arrive at Solar Cafe in eight minutes. Sometimes patterns break though, nothing truly stays consistent forever. So, when Natalya wakes up late and begins rushing around her apartment to get ready, she's not very surprised when she winds up half an hour late.

When Natalya stepped through the threshold into the shop it was much busier than when she usually came in; it's funny how twenty six minutes could make such a difference. The blonde stood in the line for quite some time before she reached the man behind the counter. 

“You're late!” Alfred's cheerful voice boomed over the chatter of the shop. “I thought you weren't coming! Anyway, the usual then?”

Natalya narrowed her eyes and nodded. She quickly pulled her phone from her pocket when she felt a light buzz. Glancing at the screen she read the message shown on the display “where are you???” read the short message from her sister. 

“Could I have a name for your order?”

Alfred had never asked her that before. Normally when Natalya came in there was no point for her to give to give Alfred a name. He'd usually bring it to her usual seat by the window, which didn't seem possible as she looked at the ever growing line behind her. 

“Natalya.” she mumbled, unlocking her phone to tell her sister she was running late and would be there soon. 

“Natalya, huh?” Alfred winked and flashed her a flirty smile. “That’s a pretty name, you got a number to go with it?”

Natalya barely glanced up from her phone “No, I don't have a phone.”

Alfred blinked slowly, he looked completely dumbfounded as he glanced between her face and her phone. “I’m sorry?”

“I said I don't have a phone.”

“B-but aren't you like texting someone right now?”

Natalya let out an exasperated sigh while continuing to text, “I told you I don't have a phone!”

“Then what’s that in your hand?!” Alfred gestured angrily at the phone she was holding.

“It’s not mine.”

Alfred groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Whatever, can't you just give me that phones number?”

Natalya felt a smirk pulling at her lips and bit her cheek to try and suppress it. “I don't think my big brother would like that very much.”

“I'm sure he'd be fine with it!”

Natalya suppressed a chuckle and shook her head. “You don't know my brother.”

“Does he ever come in here?” Alfred ran his hand through his hair again. 

“Maybe.”

“What's his name?”

“Ivan. Ivan Braginski.”

The moment the name left her lips Alfred blanched and laughed nervously. “R-really?”

Natalya made a hum of affirmation and the person behind her in line agitatedly coughed behind her. Quickly she moved out of the line and towards the other end of the counter to wait for her coffee and scone. 

After five minutes of waiting Natalya heard her name called and went to grab her to go coffee. Alfred yelled his goodbye as she left and a shout of “Call me!”, Natalya's brows furrowed in confusion and she glanced down at the paper cup held in her hand. Scribbled on the side in messy handwriting was her name, a phone number, and a sloppily drawn smiley face. Natalya huffed and rolled her eyes but couldn't help the slight smile that bloomed on her face.  
…  
Natalya hadn't actually planned to call him, but her plan changed when Katyusha had seen the hastily scrawled number on her coffee cup. 

“What’s that?!” Kat’s fingers reached out and brushed the numbers on Natalya’s cup. Natalya jerked away, hot coffee spilling out of the lid onto her hand.

“Nothing, nothing,” Natalya could feel blood rushing to her face turning her fair skin pink. “Fuck, ow, it’s nothing.” Natalya transferred the cup into her other hand, making sure her hand covered the number, and shook the hot coffee off her hand.

“It doesn't sound like nothing!” Natalya could practically hear the smirk on Kat’s face.

“That's too bad, because that's exactly what it is, nothing!”

“If it's nothing then why are you covering it, dear sister?”

Natalya shrugs and takes a sip of her coffee, the hot liquid scalds her tongue and she doesn't even taste it. Katyusha stops asking after that, until Natalya makes the mistake of setting the cup down. Kat snatches it faster than Natalya can realize her mistake and a groan escapes her lips.

“You got a boys number?!” Kat sounds unreasonably happy.

Natalya frowns and tries to reclaim her almost finished coffee. “How do you know it's a guy? I could've gotten a girls number for all you know!”

“I _know_ it's not a girl because he wrote “Alfred” next to the number. And I'm no expert but I’m pretty sure Alfred is an exclusively male name.”

“It could be short for something.”

“Whatever. Are you going to call him?”

“Probably not.”

“What?! But isn't this the barista from Solar you've been going on about?”

“I haven't been going on about him!”

Katyusha speaks in a poor imitation of Natalya’s voice, “‘Kat, there’s this great coffee shop I just found, the baristas kinda annoying though.’, ‘The barista is always so cheerful, it's nauseating.’, ‘Alfred remembered my order today, so I had to change what I get last minute to throw him off.’”

“Two of those three were insults!” Natalya huffs, glaring at her sister.

“But you talk about him all the time! You have to call him, Nat!”

“Fine,” Katyusha squeals with delight. “But! Only if you stop bugging me about for the rest of the day!”

“Deal!” Katyusha says with a grin.  
… 

So when Natalya gets home from a day full of sibling bonding she types Alfred’s number into her phone, she hesitates for a few seconds before pressing the call button. The phone rings, and rings, and rings; Natalya is contemplating just hanging up when the ringing abruptly cuts off and Alfred’s slightly distorted voice comes through the speaker. 

“Hello?” 

“Hi, it's, um, Na--”

“Natalya! Hi, hello! I thought you weren't going to call!” Alfred’s voice is overly cheery and Natalya begins regretting listening to her sister and actually calling Alfred. 

“Well, I wasn't but my sister convinc--”

“Oh... well, if you didn't want to call you didn't have to you know, I just... really like you, so.” Alfred’s voice sounds dull, his voice nervous and breathy at the end of the sentence. Natalya feels a little bad for causing his disappointment, but quickly dismisses it, he just cut her off _twice_ , and if it happens again she _will_ hang up.

“No, no, I did want to... really.”

“Really?” Natalya has trouble stifling a laugh, he sounds so excited, she knows he's got that big dopey grin on his face.

“Yeah.”

“That's great! Would you maybe, like, want to go on a date sometime? This Friday?”

“No,” Alfred takes in a sharp breath, and Natalya has to keep herself from laughing again, it's almost too easy to mess with him. “Friday won't work for me,” Alfred breathes a sigh of relief, “How about Saturday?”

“Saturdays awesome, anyway I gotta go, I'll see you tomorrow morning, right?”

“We’ll see,” Natalya mumbles with a small smile, and reminds herself to thank her sister the next time she sees her.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so if people like this I might write a second chapter where they actually go on the date??? lemme know if you want me to write it, who knows when itll be posted if i do tho. hmu at eridantrashampora on tumblr


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